New York Yankees

MUSTANG: Long night, last night. ALPHONSO: Did you stay until the end?MUSTANG: Yes. Sadly. I couldn't sleep. ALPHONSO: I know. (despairingly) Are you sure he is here?MUSTANG: It says so on the program.ALPHONSO: But why haven't we seen him? And what is "the program?"MUSTANG: It's the program. The program is the program. And it says so on the program.ALPHONSO: (sighs) I just thought he would appear. MUSTANG: Yes. On a long night. Like last night. At the mound. (They look at the mound.) Do you think we missed him?ALPHONSO: He would be hard to miss. Six feet eight. Big as a willow tree.MUSTANG: With leaves.ALPHONSO: So what now? What does it say in your program?MUSTANG: We wait. ALPHONSO: Here?MUSTANG: Tampa. Or maybe Scranton. ALPHONSO: Charming cities. But if he did not appear last night, will he ever appear?MUSTANG: It doesn't matter. We wait. Tomorrow, perhaps. He will appear tomorrow night! Just wait.

One year ago on May 22, the roles were reversed: The Rays had a 26-18 record and a 3 1/2-game lead over the Yankees for second place in the American League East. Yet it was the Yanks who ended up taking the division title. As the two teams prepare to start a three-game series Friday, the Yankees find themselves in first place with a four-game lead over the fourth-place Rays.

Here’s something unusual for this season: The Yankees seem to have avoided a serious injury tonight. When Manny Machado sent a comebacker off Hiroki Kuroda’s lower leg, the scene was similar to the line drive that broke Andy Pettitte’s leg a year ago. There was never a sense that Kuroda was hurt that badly, but there were certainly some recent perspective on how bad it might have been. “You get concerned,” Joe Girardi said. “But it’s all muscular. That should heal. It’ll be sore a little bit tomorrow and the next day, but that’ll go away.” Girardi said he would be “shocked” if Kuroda had to miss a start because of this injury, and Kuroda left little doubt that he expects to pitch again in five or six days. “It will depend on how I feel tomorrow,” Kuroda said. “But for me, I’m going to make that start.” Kuroda said the ball hit in the lower half of his calf, toward the side of his leg. When Girardi and Steve Donohue went to check on Kuroda immediately afterward, Kuroda said he was fine, and a few warmup pitches proved to be no trouble. When Kuroda went out for the next inning and allowed back-to-back hits, the Yankees became concerned — they though Kuroda was stretching his back, but he was just trying to twist around to stretch his calf — and Kuroda told Girardi that he was having trouble pushing off the mound. That’s when Girardi made the decision to go to the bullpen. “I guess it was more of a precaution,” Kuroda said. “If I had to push myself, I might have continued to pitch.” • In case you were concerned based on Kuroda’s stretching movements on the mound, Kuroda made it clear that there’s no problem with his back. • Even before the calf injury, this was a pretty bad night for Kuroda. He’d previously allowed just three home runs this season, but he allowed two in the first inning. “The home run I gave up to the third hitter, that sort of changed my rhythm,” Kuroda said. “After getting two quick outs, with a 1-1 count, I left a ball in the middle. That was something I was disappointed with.” • Last time Kuroda pitched against the Orioles, he pitched a complete game shutout at Yankee Stadium on April 14. Tonight he allowed season highs in hits (eight) and runs (five) despite pitching just two-plus innings. Weird. • Pretty unusual situation for Preston Claiborne, who hadn’t allowed a run before rushing into the game, replacing Kuroda, and allowing a three-run homer two pitches later. “I had plenty of time to get ready,” Claiborne said. “I took the appropriate time to get ready on the mound. … I didn’t execute the pitch, and if I had put it where I wanted it, then I would have more than likely got a good result out of it, just like I did the night before.” • Looking for a pitching bright side, that’s easy. Adam Warren went four scoreless innings. He allowed five singles, but didn’t walk anyone and got two double plays. He has a 1.14 ERA this season. He’s in a kind of unusual role, but he’s pitched very well. • Another highlight: Curtis Granderson. His power had yet to reveal itself this season, but tonight he was 3-for-3 with a double and a home run. “I liked how he was swinging the bat (before this),” Girardi said. “I just felt it was a matter of time until he started getting some hits. He swung the bat great tonight.” • Granderson on his big night: “That’s just baseball. It’s a matter of a game, a pitch, a swing. All the stuff like that. It doesn’t necessarily mean anything is resolved by any means, it’s just one game. Take that, tomorrow’s an off day, and try to come back and be in the best position to be successful on Friday.” • David Adams hit his second home run in three days. • We’ll give the final word to Granderson, talking about whether hitting for the cycle ever crosse

Hiroki left the game in the 3rd Inning due to an injury suffered in the 2nd, when Manny Machao hit a line drive right back at Kuroda. Kuroda: 2IP, 8H, 5ER, 2 HRs

Hiroki Kuroda had been the most consistent New York Yankees’ starter. Tonight was his first bad game with a calf injury to boot. Kuroda left early after the Orioles hit him hard, as they took the rubber game of the series 6-3. (more…)

(PR) (Richmond, VA) – Tyler Austin grounded out to shortstop with the tying and winning runs in scoring position to end the game and a late comeback attempt by the Trenton Thunder in a 5-4 loss to the Richmond Flying Squirrels Wednseday night at The Diamond. Richmond led 5-1 after seven innings and held on to win for the first time in three games during the series despite stranding 14 runners on base in the three hour, 30 minute marathon. Kyle Roller’s opposite-field three-run home run against reliever Tom Vessella brought the Thunder to within one run with one out in the eighth inning. It was his team-leading sixth of the season and third hit of the night. Lefty specialist Phil McCormick then came in and retired the final two batters in the eighth. Ali Castillo led off the ninth against McCormick by reaching on a fielding error by third baseman Adam Duvall. After Kevin Mahoney fly out, Jose Pirela worked a walk to put runners on first and second. Walter Ibarra then grounded out to third but advanced Castillo to third and Pirela to second base, prompting Richmond to call upon righty Edwin Quirarte. The side-arm righty Quirarte, pitching for the third straight night in the series, got Austin to ground his first pitch easily to shortstop Ehire Adrianza for a 6-3 putout that ended the game. Quirarte picked up his third save of the season. Trenton starter Jose Ramirez (0-2) lasted on 1.2 innings and struggled with command, walking five and throwing three wild pitches. Brett Krill’s two-run double in the second put Richmond ahead 2-1 against Ramirez. Jeremy Bleich entered in relief and allowed three more runs in his 3.1 innings of work. Duvall’s two-run triple to right center in the fourth extended Richmond’s lead to 4-1, while Krill’s second RBI double of the game plated the fifth Squirrels run in the fifth. Richmond collected 20 baserunners in eight innings on the night – 12 hits, seven walks and a hit batter – in a game in which neither team recorded a 1-2-3 inning. Taylor Rogers (2-2) worked 1.1 scoreless innings in relief of Squirrels starter Fabio Castillo to earn the win. The finale of the four-game series is scheduled to be played Thursday night beginning at 6:35 pm. Left-hander Nik Turley (4-2, 4.46) expected to start for the Thunder while the Flying Squirrels counter with lefty Chris Gloor (2-1, 4.95). Radio coverage on 91.3 FM (WTSR), 1490 AM (WBCB) and also streaming online begins at 6:20 pm.

It happened again. Remember that time Hiroki Kuroda was hit in the hand by a comebacker and eventually left the game? This time he got hit in the calf and could only last two innings, but don't let this be his excuse for the game; he gave up three runs in the bottom of the first, before he was hit, when Nick Markakis hit a solo shot and Chris Davis hit a two-run home run. After he left in the third inning with two men on, Preston Claiborne came in and gave up a three-run home run to Matt Wieters to end his scoreless streak at nine innings. This game was bad How bad was it? David Adams had an injury scare of his own when he fouled a ball off his ankle in the fourth inning. He went down, the trainer went out and then everyone laughed and it was all ok. That would have been a disaster if he was hurt and we had to rely on Jayson Nix and Reid Brignac. The offense basically consisted of Curtis Granderson, who doubled in the top of the third and scored on a Robinson Cano single. He also hit a solo home run of his own in the top of the fifth and finished a triple away from the cycle. It wasn't until the ninth inning that David Adams hit his second home run of his career off of Darren O`Day. Other than that Vernon Wells and Ichiro Suzuki had hits and Grandy and Travis Hafner (2) walked. Everyone in the lineup, other than Grandy, Adams and Ichiro, struck out at least once (Lyle Overbay struck out twice and Reid Brignac, still hitless as a Yankee, struck out three times). Brett Gardner also made a cameo appearance in order to strikeout for Austin Romine to end the game. Kuroda finished with five earned runs on eight hits in only two innings. Kuroda was hit hard in the first two innings and again in the third before he left. You could tell it was going to be a long day, but the injury made it even longer. Claiborne finally gave up his first run and, like we all knew it would be, it was devastating. He was charged with only one of the runs and managed to rebound to strike out two in two innings. Adam Warren did a noble job filling in for four inning without giving up a run on five hits and two strikeouts. If the Orioles scored anymore it might have brought Dellin Betances into the game. That would have been something. Kuroda was diagnosed with a bruised right calf, but the extent of the inury, and whether or not he will be able to make his next start, is yet to be determined. The Yankees drop the series one game to two and now head off to Tampa Bay to take on the Rays after a day off tomorrow. More From Pinstriped Bible Wednesday Yankees lineup vs. Orioles; a look at Memorial Day uniforms Sabermetric hitting primer: a conversation Camden Yards: Setting a new standard in stadium construction

BALTIMORE (AP) — Chris Davis went 4 for 4, including his AL-leading 14th homer, and the Baltimore Orioles got a three-run shot from Matt Wieters in a 6-3 victory over the New York Yankees on Wednesday night. View full post on Yahoo! Sports – MLB – New York Yankees News

J.D. Sussman at FanGraphs posted a scouting report (with video!) of RHP Jose Ramirez today, so check that out. Nothing really surprising there, big-time velocity with a knockout changeup, third pitch and command issues. Triple-A Scranton had a scheduled off-day. Double-A Trenton (5-4 loss to Richmond) SS Walt Ibarra: 3-5, 1 R, 1 K RF Tyler Austin: 0-5, 2 K — two hits in his last 26 at-bats (.077) C J.R. Murphy: 1-4, 1 R, 1 K RHP Jose Ramirez: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 5 BB, 1 K, 3 WP, 2/0 GB/FB — 31 of 58 pitches were strikes (53%) … yikes High-A Tampa (12-4 loss to Bradenton) CF Mason Williams: 0-4, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K DH Angelo Gumbs: 3-4, 1 R, 2 2B, 1 BB — 12-for-30 (.400) since coming off the DL 2B Rob Refsnyder: 0-3, 2 BB C Gary Sanchez: 2-5, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 2 K — already his eighth homer of the year LF Ben Gamel: 1-4, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K RHP Scottie Allen: 3 IP, 10 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 3/1 GB/FB – 42 of 67 pitches were strikes (63%) Low-A Charleston (4-2 win over Savannah) CF Jake Cave: 1-4, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K SS Cito Culver: 0-5, 2 K 1B Greg Bird: 2-5, 1 K — four two-hit games in his last nine contests C Peter O’Brien: 0-3, 2 R, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 HBP — three-game extra-base hit streak is broken 3B Dante Bichette: 2-5, 1 RBI, 1 K — 12 hits in his last 31 at-bats (.387) LHP Evan Rutckyj: 4 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 1 HBP, 3/1 GB/FB Post from: River Ave. Blues A New York Yankees blogRamirez walks five as Thunder lose

Hiroki Kuroda was having trouble pushing off the mound in the third inning, which is the reason he was pulled from the game. Kuroda said he could have pushed through it, and he said coming out was a precaution. Joe Girardi said he would be shocked if Kuroda were not able to make his next start. The post Kuroda expected to make next start appeared first on The LoHud Yankees Blog.